Resilient bottle gripper for filling machine



Dec. 11, 1956 G. L. N. MEYER 2,773,522

RESILIENT BOTTLE GRIPPEZR FOR FILLING MACHINE Filed March 15, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet l G. L. N. MEYER 2,773,522

RESILIENT BOTTLE GRIPPER FOR FILLING MACHINE Dec. 11, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 15, 1954 INVENTOR. 1 er jlarzzey Dec. 11, 1956 G. N. MEYER RESILIENT BOTTLE GRIPPER FOR FILLING MACHINE s Sheefs-Sheet 3 Filed March 15, 1954 INVENTOR; @earye Z Afflyez United States Patent O 2,773,522 RESILIENT BOTTLE GRIPPER FOR FILLING MACHINE George L. N. Meyer, Milwaukee, WiSi, assignor to Geo.

J. Meyer -Manufacturing Company, Cudahy, Wis., a

corporation of Wisconsin Application March 15, 1954, Serial No. 416,190 7 Claims. (Cl. 141-165) This invention relates to bottle filling machines and more particularly to a bottle gripper to receive the bottles as they move onto the stirrup and center and retain the bottles under the filling head during filling.

Modern bottle filling machines ordinarily contain a constantly rotating filler bowl. The containers to be filled are moved by a star wheel onto stirrups at a loading station. The stirrups raise the bottles into filling position during the rotation of the bowl. After filling, the bottles are lowered from filling position by the stirrups and are removed from the stirrups by a discharge cam and a star wheel.

The stirrups on the filling machines heretofore made,

usually have spaced metallic pins which project above the surface of the stirrups and serve to center the bottles directly under the filler valves.

It has been found, however, that as the bottles pass around the star wheel they have a tendency to spin on their axes, the spinning in turn causing some misaligning of the bottles on the stirrups.

It has been found also that when the machine is started or stopped the inertia of the bottles, if they are not clamped in filling position, tends to jar those bottles out of position, causing the bottles so misalined to jam against the vent tube and bend it, or so jars the bottles out of position that they are out of time with the discharge star and may be broken between the discharge star and the discharge cam.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a bottle gripper for a bottle filling machine, or the like, which will position the bottles properly under the filler head.

Another object is to provide a bottle gripper for a bottle filling machine, or the like, which will prevent the spin of the bottles as they enter or are discharged from the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bottle gripper for a bottle filling machine, or the like, which will insure the bottles reaching the discharge station on the machine in proper position to be engaged by the discharge star wheel.

A further object of the invention is to provide-a bottle gripper for a bottle filling machine, or the like, which will hold the bottles positively against the efiects of centrifugal force.

A still further object is to provide a bottle gripper for a bottle filling machine, or the like, which will retain thev bottles securely against the inertia of starting or stopping. A still further object is to provide a bottle gripper. for

' a bottle filling machine, or the like, which will retain the Still further objects of the invention will become apparent upon considering the following specification, which, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrates a preferred form of the invention.

' In the drawings:

Fig. l is a vertical cross-section through the filler bowl and stirrup of a bottle filling machine, showing the improved bottle gripper in position on the stirrup;

Fig. 2 is a plan view, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, and including the infeed and discharge star wheels;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the improved bottle gripper, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in place on a stirrup;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section through the bottle gripper shown in Fig. 3, and is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a rear view of the stirrup shown in Fig. 3, showing the-mounting of the bottle gripper post and the position of the star wheels; and

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the bottle gripper, shown in Fig. 3, showing the locus of the center of the containers relative to the stirrups on which they are about to be delivered;

Referring to the drawings and particularly to'Figs. 1 and 2, the bottle filling machine comprises a standard (not shown) which carries a rotatable base plate 10, extending from its central axis (not shown) to an outer circular periphery 11.

The plate 10 has a series of apertures spaced about its periphery which receive lifting cylinders 12. Each cylinder 12 has a head or cover 14 which receives and guides a piston rod 15. The piston rod 15 is actuated pneumatically by a piston 16 through an air supply pipe 17. The piston 15 carries a lifting stirrup, generally designated 19, which raises the bottle into engagement with a filler valve 22. V

Bottles or other containers are moved onto'the stirrups by an intake star wheel 20 prior to the beginning of thefilling operation and are removed from the filling machine at the conclusion of the filling operation by a discharge star wheel 21. The filler valves 22 are mounted in a filler bowl 24, one valve being mounted directly above each of the stirrups 19 so that when the bottles are raised to the filler valves 22 they are centered with respect to the valves and the valves may then be opened to fill bottles with beverage in a manner well known in the art.

The stirrup 19 is shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 4. Referring then to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the stirrups 19 comprise substantially horse shoe-shaped castings 25secured to the piston rods 15 through clamps formed integrally on the castings 25. The tops of the castings 25 are provided with cover plates 27 which are polished or smoothed on top to receive the bottles. The cover plates 27 are secured to the castings 25 by means of countersunk machine screws 28. 1

A square post 30 is securedto the rear ofeach stirrup 19 by a screw 31 (Fig. 5), the post extending, above the top of the plate 27 to form a support for a flexible bottle gripper, generally designated 34. The bottle gripper 34 is provided with a square recess extending upwardly through the bottom surface to a point adjacent the upper surface and with a continuing circular aperture connecting the upper end of the recess with the upper surface of the bottle gripper. The square recess is received snugly over the top of the post 30, the post thus supporting the bottle gripper 34 securely in spaced parallel relation above the plate 27. A headed pin 35 is secured in the retain the gripper in position on the post.

The gripper 34 is adapted to grip the bottle atapproximately the center of gravity in order to minimize the possibility of misalignment of the bottles.

Since each of the bottle grippers on the machine are identical in shape and in operation only one will-be described.

The bottle gripper 34 is formed from a slab of flexible material such as rubber and has substantially parallel sides 35 and 36 projecting over the top of the stirrup 19. The parallel sides 35 and 36 form the exteriors of a pair offingers 37-38. The finger 37 hasv a curved intake surface 39 adapted to contact the bottle as it is moved onto the stirrup by the star wheel'20, the contact of'the bottle with the surface 39 stopping the rotation of' the' bottle and steadying it. Further'movement-of the bottle onto the stirrup bends the finger 37 forwardly and permits the bottle to pass between the fingers 37 and -38 to be gripped between a circular surface 40 on the finger 37 and a corresponding circular surface 41 on the finger 38. Thus the bottle is placed accurately in positionon the stirrup 19' by the star wheel 20 and is held securely and accurately in position between the surfaces 40and 41 on the bottle gripper 34.

The path of the center of thebottle with respect to the stirrup-is shown by-the cuiwe 43, Fi'g: 6,-and the -outlines of the bottle as it advances onto the machine along" the path 43 is shown by the circles 45. It will therefore be'seen'frorn Fig. 6 that as the bottle movesonto the machine the finger 37 must moveto the left, as seen in Fig. 6, in order that the bottle advance fully onto the stirrup. Thercontact of thebottle with the surface 39 of the finger 37 both stops bottle spin and steadies the bottle'as the star wheel positions it under the-filler valve 22.

The surfaces 40 and 41 retain the bottle in position on the stirrup as the stirrup'revolves about the center of the machineand as the bottle is being filled.

At the discharge station the bottle engages a cam 47 andis engaged bythe discharge star 21. As the bottle advances on the machine the discharge star 21 and the cam 47 'force the bottle outwardly oh? the stirrup and onto the: star. spect to the stirrup as it is being moved off the stirrup is shown by the curve 48, inFig. 6, and the outlines of the bottle are shown by a series of circles 49.

As the bottle moves outwardly from the stirrup the finger 38 flexes tothe right permitting the bottle to leave the circular gripping portions IO-41 and to' contact a discharge surface 50. The discharge surfaceSt) retains the bottle firmly in contact withthe surface of the discharge star, steadies the bottle and prevents it from spin ning.

While the bottle filling machine hereindescribed refers only to bottles, it will be understood that it applies equally to other forms of containers such as tin cans, etc., and the word bottlesas usedherein is to be so in terpreted.

Itis obvious that the bottle gripper described hereinabove stops'bottle spin effectively, steadies the bottle, pre' vents the, bottle from beingmisaligned due to inertia of starting and stopping the'machine and will position the bottle accuratelyfor filling.

It will be realized that the abovedescription is merely a preferred embodiment of the invention and that vari.

ous changes in size, shape and arrangement of parts may be made Without departing from the spirit of the. invention or the scope ofthesubjoined claims.

That whichis claimed as new and is desired to be secured by United States Letters Patentis:

1. A bottle filling machine, having a plurality of stirrups adapted to raise the bottles into'engagement with fillervalves'for filling and a star wheel adapted to movethe bottles on to the stirrups, a bottle gripper on each of said' stirrups, said bottle gripper comprising a resilieutmembery The path of the center of the bottle with re-' adaptedto engage. abottle in. gripping engagementand center the same below a filler valve.

2. A bottle filling machine, including a plurality of stirrups adapted to raise the bottles into engagement with filler valves for filling and a star wheel adapted to move bottles onto successive stirrups, a bottle gripper supported on each stirrup in spacedparallelrelation thereto, said bottle gripper includinga pair of substantially parallel resilient fingers adapted to resiliently engage a bottle as .it is placed on a stirrup by the star wheel and center the bottle under a filler valve.

3. A bottle filling machine, includinga plurality of stirrups adapted to raise the bottles into engagement with filler valves for fillingland a star wheeladapted to move the bottles onto successive stirrups, a bottle gripperon each bottles onto successive stirrups, a bottle. gripper supported from and above each stirrup in spaced parallel relation thereto, said bottle gripper comprising a-pair of substantially parallel resilient fingers adapted to engage a bottle resiliently and centerthe same under a filler valve,-and means on the outer ends of the bottle gripper to engage the bottlc-asit is moved onto the stirrup by the star wheel to stop :thespin thereof.

5. A bottlefillingmachine, including a plurality of stirrups adapted to raise bottles into engagement with filler valves for filling, a first star wheel adapted to move the bottles onto successive stirrups and a second star wheel adapted to move the filled bottles off said stirrups, a bottle grippersupported oneach stirrup in spaced parallel relationthereto, said bottle" gripper including a pair ofsubstantially parallel resilient fingers adapted to engage a bottle-resiliently asit is placed on the stirrup by the first named star wheel and center the same under a filler valve, and means contacting said bottle, as the bottle is moved off the stirrupby the second named star wheel, to prevent spinning of the bottle.

6. A bottle filling machine, including a plurality of stir rups adapted to raise bottles into engagement with filler valves for filling and a star wheel, adapted to movethebottles onto successive stirrups, a bottle gripper carried by each stirrup, said bottle gripper being parallel to the top of said stirrupand spaced thereabove at a'point substantially equal to'the height of the center of gravity of the bottle to be filled, and a plurality of resilient fingers formed on said bottlegripper to engage a bottle resiliently as -it is placed on the stirrup by the star wheel and center the same under a filler valve.

7. A- bottle filling machine, including a plurality of stirrups adapted to raise the bottles into engagement with filler valves for filling and a star wheel adapted to move bottlesonto successive stirrups, a bottle gripper supported on each'stirrupj in spaced parallel relation ithereto, said= 1,227,244' Buhles May 22,1917 2,112,621 Henszey et a1 .Mar. 29, 1938 2,266,497 Huntley et al Dec. 16, 1941 2,506,819. Von Sydow May 9, 1950 2,554,635 Petrone' May29,- 1951 2,619,975 Bingham Dec. 2,1952 

